Motor Vehicles Department lacks land to conduct tests

The motor vehicles department (MVD) is running from pillar to post to procure land for conducting various tests and vehicle registration at Ernakulam regional transport office (RTO).TNN | October 17, 2016, 08:55 IST

Representative imageKOCHI: The motor vehicles department (MVD) is running from pillar to post to procure land for conducting various tests and vehicle registration at Ernakulam regional transport office (RTO). The absence of a permanent venue had forced the department to shift the venue of driving and fitness tests countless times.

Though a two-acre plot, owned by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), was earmarked at Irumpanam, the land allocation is stuck over the past two years thanks to red-tapism. The delay has forced officials to perform driving tests along the sides of the road, resulting in public protests and traffic blocks.

This is happening, despite the office being one of the busiest regional transport offices in Kerala. The number of vehicles registered in a single day in the office is nearly 400.

"The initiative to procure land for MVD was taken up by the then district collector M G Rajamanickam on a request made by the department. Though a 'puramboke' land was initially earmarked at Thuthiyoor, it was later cancelled after the plot lacked several requirements," said a senior MVD official.

The department later approached BPCL and the company agreed to provide the plot at Irumpanam under their ownership.

"When the land received administrative sanction from the transport commissionerate, BPCL demanded a two-acre land in return of their land. MVD has no provision to provide them land in return. It has to be dealt by the district administration and the state government. Though discussions were held many times, we could not reach a consensus on the matter," said Ernakulam RTO P H Sadiq Ali, adding that BPCL's land is good to conduct driving and fitness tests and even registration purposes.

“To save the environment and to fight climate change, my government has planned a major campaign. By 2022, we want to generate 175 GW of renewable energy. In the last three years, we have already achieved 60 GW or around one-third of this target,” he said.